Single-shuttle twin-barrel gun



March 7, 1961 s. AL-rscHULER SINGLE-SHUTTLE TWIN-BARREL GUN 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 8, 1957 INVENTOR.

March 7, 1961 s. ALTscHULER SINGLE- SHUTTLE TWIN-BARREL GUN Filed Feb. 8, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fi g -5.. 2O

INVENTOR. 511mm El Alsnhuler BY @fr -Jmm fjgmh March 7, 1961 s. ALTscHULER 2,973,692

SINGLE-SHUTTLE TWIN-BARREL GUN Filed Feb. 8, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN VEN TOR.

s@ i, E111-nu El AlschU-lr nfi/,Mqf Uw States Unite SIN SLE-SHUTTLE TWIN -BARREL GUN Filed Feb. 8, 1957, Ser. No. 639,142

4 Claims. (Cl. 89-33) My invention relates to automatic guns having twin barrels and more particularly to such guns having corresponding feed sprockets and shuttles for successive cooperation therewith to secure cartridges for alternate discharge in ring stations in respective axial alignment with the barrels.

This application is submitted for copending consideration with the application of Charles R. Bell and Eugene S. Wassel entitled Ammunition Belt for Shuttle Gun, lSerial No. 680,371, filed August 26, 1957.

Conventional automatic guns include receivers with considerable structure projecting rearwardly from the ring station of the cartridges, and it is an object of my invention to provide an automatic gun with twin barrels, laterally spaced in a receiver, and anvils with ring pins disposed substantially at the rear end of the receiver to minimize the length thereof.

Another object of my invention is to provide such a gun which lires cartridge alternately through the barrels.

A further object of my invention is to provide such a gun with a feed device including sprockets corresponding to the barrels for conveying the cartridges to the firing stations in respective axial alignment with the barrels.

A still further object of my invention is to provide the gun with a device including a shuttle which cooperates alternately with the sprockets to secure the cartridges in the firing stations for the discharge.

Still another object of my invention is to provide such a gun which res noncylindrical cartridges.v

An additional object of my invention is to provide such a gun with a device including a discharge gas cylinder and a piston for rotating the sprockets, responsive to discharge of the gun.

Other aims and objects of my invention will 'appear l'from the following description.

In carrying out my invention, a feeder includes cylinatent tive sprockets responsive to the rotation. The shuttle and the sprockets are disposed to secure the cartridges in the rng stations for the discharge.

For a more complete understanding, reference is directed to the following description and the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan View, partly in section, of a gun incorporating my invention;

Fig. 2 is a view along line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view along line 3--3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a partial view similar to Fig. 3 with the shuttle in an intermediate position;

Fig. 5 is a view along line 5 5 of Fig. 3 with shaft and tines removed; and

Fig. 6 is an isometric view, partly in section, of the piston, the cartridge indexing mechanism, and the mechanical convertor.

Shown in the figures is a gun 12 provided with a receiver 14, and a pair of barrels 16 and 18 which are laterally spaced therein. Cartridges 30 are linked to form a pair of ammunition belts 28 and are fed to ring stations respective to the barrels 16 and 1S by a cartridge indexing mechanism provided with a feeder. Such feeder includes a pair of cylindrical sprockets 20 which are rotatably mounted, by means of axial bores 21 therethrough, on a pair of shafts 23 which are integrally xed in opposite sides of receiver 14. Each of the sprockets 20 is provided with a plurality of teeth 24 which engageably carry the cartridges 3i) therebetween to the ring stations of the respective ones of the barrels 16 and 18 and in engagement with respective ones of a pair of anvils 31 which are positioned in the rear end of receiver 14 in axial alignment with the barrels. The anvils 31 are the sole components of gun 12 disposed rearwardly of the tiring station to minimize the length of the gun, and each of the anvils is provided with a firing pin 33 which is adapted to lire the cartridge 30 engaged therewith by conventional electrical means.

Each one of the cartridges 30 includes a case 32, which is substantially quadrangular in cross-section and which is provided with a side 34 having a concave surface which coincides with the perimeter of the sprockets 2t) between the teeth 24, a pair of sloping sides 38, and a side 36 which joins sides 3S opposite side 34. Provided at the junctions of side 34 with the sides 38 and disposed centrally thereof are interlocking means 39, such as disclosed drical sprockets corresponding to the barrels and disposed on fixed axles for alternately feeding noncylindrical cartridges from a pair of ammunition belts to ring stations in axial alignment with the barrels and in position for discharging the cartridge projectile therethrough. A rotationally stabilized hollow piston is spring-biased to a normal position and disposed for longitudinal reciprocation responsive to gases from the discharge.

The piston is secured to members having radially slid` able pins with each member being provided with a mechanism connecting the pins with internal cam tracks in the sprockets for rotation thereof responsive to the piston strokes.

The gun is provided with a device including a shuttle transversely slidable in the receiver and a crank provided with an axially journaled shaft and an axle offset therefrom. A projection of the shaft is disposed within the piston and provided with cam grooves engageable with internal rollers of the piston for rotating the crank responsive to the piston strokes. The axle engages an aperture through the shuttle to provide reciprocation thereof fromand to firing station engagement with-the'respecby Bell and Wassel in their aforementioned application, which cooperate in linking the cartridges 3i) together to form the belts 28 and are received by corresponding grooves 40 through the teeth 24, as shown in Fig. 4. A cylinder 42 is provided in receiver 14 between the barrels 16 and 18 and slidingly receives a piston 44 having an annular flange 45 slidingly engageable with such cylinder. The barrels 16 and 18 communicate respectively with cylinder 42 through ducts 46 and 47 which open respectively into the rear and front ends of the cylinder to discharge gases from the barrels against the rear and front sides of ange 45 to drive piston 44 forwardly and rearwardly when the barrels-are alternately discharged.

The sprockets 20 are rotated to feed the cartridges 30 to the firing stations by a pair of mechanical converters 48 which are connected by yoke 52 to a piston 44 which is disposed therebetween, whereby the converters are slidingly actuated together in receiver 14 responsive to the operation of the piston, and the piston is fixed against rotation by such converters. The shafts 23 are of I-crosssection with the principal axis of the web portion being disposed transversely to the gun, and the outer surfaces of the ange portion are arcuately formed to provide bearing supports for thesprockets 2li rotatably mounted thereon, as best shown byy Figs. 2 and 3.

Each of the;

disposed rods 54 which are fixed at the front ends to yoke 52 and are vertically spaced to be received by the corresponding spaces between the ange portions of the shafts 23 and thereby permit the sliding movement of such members along such shafts.

Each of the rods 54 is terminated at the rear end by a flange 55 which is slidingly received by respective ones of the spaces in the shaft 23 with the outside of each of the anges being arcuately formed to stlidingly engage bore 21 of the respective sprocket 20.

Arranged symmetrically in each of the flanges 55 is a pair of radially-disposed bores 57, the axes of which form a 60 angle. A pin S6 is slidingly received by each of the bores 57 so that a roller 58 mounted to the outer end of v each of the pins 56 is actuatable between positionsV of retration within and extension from the flange 55. A Vgear rack 64 is provided on each of the pins 56, as shown in Fig, 3, and a pinion gear 66 rotatably mounted on a shaft 68 jointly engages said gear racks whereby one of said rollers is positioned in the extension position and the other in the retraction position and whereby movement of the roller from the extension to the retraction position moves the other one of the rollers from the retraction to the extension position.

Provided in each of the bores 21 are three U-shaped cam tracks 60, as illustrated in Fig. 5, which slidingly receive the rollers 58 in the extension positions for rotating the sprockets 20 as hereinafter described. The leg portions of the cam track 60 are longitudinally disposed in the bores 21 and spaced 60 apart, and corresponding ones of the leg portions of each of the cam tracks 60 is terminated by a ramp portion 62 which cammingly moves the rollers 58 in the extension positions to the retraction positions after completing the travel thereof along the cooperating one of the cam tracks. As the leg portions of the cam tracks 60 are spaced 60 apart and as the rollers 58 in each of the flanges 55 are also spaced 60 apart, when the rollers in the extension position are cammed into the retraction positions, the other rollers are slidingly received by the beginning portions of the succeeding cam tracks, as Ibest shown in Fig. 3, whereby the sprockets 20 are rotated another pitch of 60 during the following reciprocation of piston 44.

the free sprocket and the sprocket in engagement with shuttle 72 responsive to beginning and end portions of the piston strokes, and grooves 87 are disposed for displacement of shuttle 72 between the engagement positions responsive to theremainder of the piston strokes.

Crank 76 is axially fixed in receiver 14 and provided with a stud 9=8 axially projecting into piston 44. Stud 98 includes a-pair of spacedshouflders 100, and a spring 102 surrounds stud 98. A pair of washers 104 are respectively disposedl Ibetween spring 102 and shoulders 100, and a tubel 10'6 mounted axially to piston 44 at the front end thereof inclos'es the spring and washers. Tube 106 includes a pair of internal flanges 108 for engagement with washers 104 to bias piston 44 to a normal position whereby flange 45 is disposed forwardly of duct 46 for the forward operation of the piston responsive to gases from the discharge of a cartridge 30 through barrel 16 to begin the cycle of operation of gun 12. f

Thus, to ready gun 12 for firing, a cartridge belt 28 Yis engaged with each of the sprockets 20 and moved thereby throughsuitable manual charging means (not shown) until the leading one of the cartridges 30 in the belt feeding barrel 16 is in the feeding station thereof and chambered through the cooperation of such sprocket, shuttle. 72 and the respective one of the anvils 31. As piston 44 is normally biased to the normal position in cylinder 42 by spring 102 and as the bore of barrel 16 communicates with the rear end of the cylinder by duct 46, such barrel is to be fired first whereby the gases from the discharge of the cartridge 30 by the respective one-of the firing pins 33 enter such cylinder rearwardly of flange 45 which forces piston 44 to the forward position. During such forward movement, sprockets 20 are rotated through the cooperation of rollers 58 with the cam grooves 60 to deliver a cartridge 30 to the firing station of barrel 18 and'rnove the fired cartridge case 32 from `the firing lstation of barrel 16. At the same time, crank-76 is rotated 180 to move shuttle 72 into engagement with Each of the gears 66 is provided with a toggle including an arm 70 secured to respective shafts 68, and each arm is engaged by a flat spring 71 secured to the respective flange 55 to stabilize the movement of the pins 56.

A shuttle 72 provided with opposing apertures 74 is laterally slidable in receiver 14` between positions for alternate cooperation with sprockets 20 to retain cartridges 30 in the ring stations for the discharge.

A conversion device for reciprocationy of shuttle 72 responsive to the axial stroke operation of piston 44 includes a crank 76 with a pair of disks 78 transversely rotatable in receiver 14, a shaft 80 projecting into-piston 44, and an axle 82 projecting through axial hole 84 in shuttle 72. The axes of shaft 80l and axle 82 are spaced at a throw distance, and shaft 80 is provided with a pair of cam grooves 87 for engagement with opposed rollers 88 projecting internally from piston 44, as shown in Fig. l. Grooves 87 are disposed for 180 osci-llation of crank 76 for reciprocation of shuttle 72 between the engagements thereof with the opposite ones of the sprockets 20 responsive to the stroke operation of piston 44.

Apertures 74 of shuttle 72 are disposed for engagement with side 36 and the plane portions of sides 38 to retain cartridges 30 against sprocket 22 in the ring stations for discharge, and the surfaces of the plane portions of sides 38 of the cartridges diverge from opposite sides 36 to facilitate the engagement.

Axle 82 is ovoid in cross-section and hole `84 is shaped to constantly engage shuttle 72. to laxle 82 during the reciprocation.

Cam tracks 60' are disposed for respective rotation. of.

the cartridge 30 in the firing kstation of barrel 18 to coopcrate in the chambering thereof. When such cartridge is ignited by the engaged firing pin 31, the lateral force of the discharge of cartridge 30 is taken by the supporting shaft 23, which is of I-cross-section, with the principal axis thereof being laterally disposed to oppose the force of the discharge. The gases from the discharge are vented'through duct 47 to the front end of cylinder 42 to move piston' 44 rearwardly and thereby rotate the sprockets 20 and move shuttle 72 to repeat the aforementioned sequences of operation.

Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described in detail herein, it is evident that many variations may be vdevised within the spirit and scope thereof and the following claims are intended to include such variations.

I claim: l v 1. In a gunhaving a receiver, a pair of barrels spaced laterally in the receiver, a piston slidingly mounted in a cylinder, duct means providing communication between [said barrels andl said cylinder to reciprocably actuate said piston when said barrels are -alternately discharged, a pair of anvils mounted to the rear end of the receiver in axial Ialignment with respective ones of Isaid barrels and in spaced relationships with the breech ends thereof to receivea cartridge therebetween at a firing station respective to each of said barrels, a tiring pin mounted to each one of said anvils for discharging the cartridge wlienin the respective one of the firing stations, a pair of sprockets rotatably mounted to the receiver for feeding said cartridges linked to form a pair of belts to respective ones of said firing stations, a shuttle mounted for lateral movement in the receiver to cooperate with alternate ones of said anvilsi and said sprockets for chambering said. cartridges for discharge when. in said firing stations, and piston-actuatedcam means for simultaneously actuating saidfsprocketsv andsaid shuttle to feedv said cartridges to alternate ones of said tiring stations and chamber said cartridges therein.

2. The gun as described in claim 1 including a crank Aengaged with said shuttle for movement thereof into alternate engagement with said sprockets, and cam means disposed between said crank and said piston for rotating said crank 180 to move said shuttle into engagement with the other one of said sprockets during actuation of said piston between the limits of movement thereof.

3. The gun as described in claim 1 wherein each of said sprockets are provided with teeth for engageably moving said belts to respective ones of said firing stations with said cartridges in said belts being received by the spaces between said teeth, and said shuttle is provided with apertures in the ends thereof which are sequentially engageable with `alternate ones of said sprockets to cooperate with said spaces and said anvils in forming chambers for said cartridges respective to said barrels.

4. The gun as described in claim l wherein said cam means for converting the reciprocation of said piston to rotation of said sprockets includes a pair of ange portions each of said sprockets, means for transferring reciprocat tion of said piston to said flanges, a plurality of U-shaped cam tracks symmetrically arranged in said bores, a pair of rollers mounted to each of said ange portions for reciprooation between positions of retraction within said ilange and extension therefrom into cooperation with said cam tracks for rotating said sprockets one pitch during each reciprocation of said piston, ramp means engageable by said rollers in said extension positions when at the end of the travel thereof in each of said cam tracks for actuating said rollers to said retraction positions, and gear means for converting movement of said rollers to the retraction positions to movement of the other ones of said rollers to the projecting positions and into sliding engage ment with the front ends of the succeeding ones of said cam tracks.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,594,199 Motley Apr. 22, 1952 

